Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
A Montreal resident took to Reddit to ask what they should do after finding belongings stolen from their car for sale on Facebook Marketplace.
In the post, the person behind the handle Junior_Honeydew_4472 explains that their car was broken into and several items were taken. After contacting the police and filing a report, they found their stolen items posted to the platform Facebook Marketplace, the social network’s buy-and-sell section where people can post their personal items for sale.
The poster expressed a desire to meet up with the seller of their stolen goods, but said police advised them not to take matters into their own hands.
“This petty thief is known by the cops, and of course they said I shouldn’t confront him,” they wrote. “A confrontation would be much more satisfying.”
“I would like him to know that I know he’s the thief and that if I ever see him near here again, he’ll regret it,” they wrote.
Commenters’ advice: Don’t do it!
While some shared similar stories of planning to confront a thief, many of the responses in the thread advised the poster not to arrange meeting the alleged crook in person.
“Put down the testosterone smoothie for a second and actually play this out in your head,” user brainwarts wrote. “What could you possibly get from this that is worth the potential negative outcomes?”
“I wouldn’t put my family at risk for satisfaction or whatever,” Tharwaum wrote.
“Vigilantism is such a Hollywood response and honestly a good way to get your sh*t canned in,” Foxxxyyuri69 wrote.
“What would I do in your shoes? I’d learn to stop leaving things in my car,” Dalminster wrote.
Police tips: Avoid giving thieves opportunity to steal
Montreal police agree. When it comes to preventing items from being stolen in the first place, a representative with the force encourages people not to leave valuables inside their unattended vehicles.
“Thefts inside vehicles can be classified as crimes of opportunity,” communications officer Mélanie Bergeron wrote in an email to Yahoo Canada. “A thief will notice a valuable item if it is left in plain view in the car. If there are no witnesses nearby, he may be tempted to take advantage of the opportunity by stealing the valuable item.”
Bergeron also provided several tips to follow in order to avoid a vehicle being broken into.
When parking your vehicle, be sure to do so in areas that are well-lit and make sure to not leave objects in plain view. Always lock the doors and make sure the windows are closed all the way. Finally, put belongings in the truck of the vehicle before arriving at your destination.
With regards to stolen goods found on Facebook Marketplace, Bergeron recommends filing a complaint with a neighbourhood station.
She also refer to Facebook’s protocol around what to do if you see stolen items on Facebook Marketplace. This includes taking screenshots of the ad, the seller’s profile and any messages exchanged.
A thief will notice a valuable item if it is left in plain view in the car.
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Credit belongs to : ca.news.yahoo.com
